This Friday, join local leaders and activists at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center for a discussion of the recent kidnappings in Nigeria and the accompanying worldwide #Bringbackourgirls social media campaign. Participants will come away with a deeper understanding of the happenings in Nigeria and the implications for activism in the age of the internet.

Rebecca Lehman, Coordinator of University of Cincinnati’s Racial Awareness Program, will moderate the discussion. Community partners include Cincinnati League of Women Voters, Cincinnati Junior League, End Slavery Now and Xavier University’s Dorothy Day Center for Faith and Justice.

This event is free and open to the public.

As an institution dedicated to the abolition of modern day slavery, the Freedom Center wants to serve as a space for the community to discuss nuanced issues like the recent kidnappings, learn about the connections to the wider landscape of human trafficking and reflect on the international community’s response to an instance of human trafficking. Freedom Center President Dr. Clarence G. Newsome recently released a statement on the kidnappings, calling on readers to speak out against actions that threaten the freedom of individuals and cause entire communities to live in fear.

Friday’s discussion will focus on these kidnappings and the international response but will also touch on some of the broader issues of modern day slavery and human trafficking— types of modern day slavery, the causes and effects of modern day slavery and the warning signs of human trafficking.

The conversation will also include the role of women’s education in combatting modern day slavery. Women’s education has been one of the most powerful tools in the fight against poverty, infant mortality and violent extremism across the world. Panelists and attendees will be asked to consider the importance of women’s education and empowerment within our own communities.

Lastly, this event will address the importance of responsible social media advocacy and the role of social media in modern activism. The explosive worldwide response through #Bringbackourgirls has raised many questions about the ethics of social media advocacy— in the age of the internet, how do we engage in the fight for freedom in a way that promotes empathy, solidarity and pluralism?

The event will take place this Friday, June 6 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way.

Look forward to more information and advocacy opportunities from the up-and-coming organization End Slavery Now. You can find them on Twitter @endslaverynow.

Feel free to contact me with questions about this event. We hope you will join our discussion of these important topics.

Tatum Hunter is the Marketing Intern at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, as well as a rising Junior at Xavier University. Whether she is onstage, in the Newswire or on this blog, she can be hard to miss on campus. Connect with her to connect with the Freedom Center, Xavier or both.